Church staff salaries
What churches pay, role by role, from two named sources: the US Bureau of Labor Statistics wage survey (May 2025) and the pay churches posted on this board. Every figure says where it came from and how many postings it rests on.
National medians
Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, bls.gov/oes. OEWS leaves out the self-employed and does not count a housing allowance or parsonage.
Pay by role
| Role | BLS median in churches | BLS occupation | Posted on this board |
|---|---|---|---|
| Associate pastor | $58,680 a year | Clergy | 1 posting |
| Campus pastor | $58,680 a year | Clergy | None yet |
| Church planter | $58,680 a year | Clergy | None yet |
| Executive pastor | $58,680 a year | Clergy | 1 posting |
| Missions pastor | $58,680 a year | Clergy | None yet |
| Pastoral care minister | $58,680 a year | Clergy | 1 posting |
| Senior pastor | $58,680 a year | Clergy | None yet |
| Small groups pastor | $58,680 a year | Clergy | None yet |
| Worship pastor | $58,680 a year | Clergy | None yet |
| Young adult pastor | $58,680 a year | Clergy | 1 posting |
| Youth pastor | $58,680 a year | Clergy | 1 posting |
| Children's ministry director | $50,980 a year | Directors, Religious Activities and Education | 1 posting |
| Church secretary | $43,710 a year | Secretaries and Administrative Assistants, Except Legal, Medical, and Executive | None yet |
| Church custodian | $36,480 a year | Janitors and Cleaners, Except Maids and Housekeeping Cleaners | 1 posting |
| Church musician | $53.16 an hour | Musicians and Singers | None yet |
| Organist | $53.16 an hour | Musicians and Singers | None yet |
| Church childcare worker | $34,580 a year | Childcare Workers | 1 posting |
| Music director | $65,290 a year | Music Directors and Composers | None yet |
| Worship leader | $65,290 a year | Music Directors and Composers | 2 postings |
| Church accountant | $80,130 a year | Accountants and Auditors | None yet |
| Church communications director | $57,220 a year | Public Relations Specialists | None yet |
| Church administrator | $71,110 a year | Executive Secretaries and Executive Administrative Assistants | None yet |
| Church media director | $47,220 a year | Audio and Video Technicians | None yet |
| Technical director | $47,220 a year | Audio and Video Technicians | None yet |
| Preschool director | $63,590 a year | Education and Childcare Administrators, Preschool and Daycare | 5 postings |
| Church human resources staff | $63,510 a year | Human Resources Specialists | None yet |
| Church security director | $44,150 a year | Security Guards | None yet |
| Church facilities manager | $77,380 a year | Facilities Managers | None yet |
| Church graphic designer | $61,640 a year | Graphic Designers | None yet |
| Church sound technician | $52,400 a year | Sound Engineering Technicians | None yet |
| Church IT director | $53,180 a year | Computer Network Support Specialists | None yet |
| Church bus driver | No match | No close BLS occupation | 1 posting |
“BLS median in churches” is the median for that occupation among employees of religious organizations (NAICS 813100), nationwide. A role's page adds the spread, the state figures for clergy, and every posting behind the board count.
The full pay report
Every posting with pay on this board (role, church, state, pay and date), the BLS figures for each role in religious organizations, and clergy pay in every state, in one spreadsheet.
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How these numbers are made
Board figures count only pay a church published in its own posting. A yearly figure is used as given. Hourly, weekly and monthly pay becomes a yearly figure only for full-time jobs, so part-time pay never reads as a salary. A range counts once, at its midpoint, and the same job at several campuses counts once. With fewer than three postings, a page lists them and gives no typical figure.
The BLS survey counts employees, not the self-employed, and leaves out housing allowances and parsonages. Many pastors receive part of their pay as a housing allowance, so the survey can read low for pastoral roles.
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